Together till the end: Photographer documents her parents' painful and inspiring battle against stage 4 cancer and their deaths exactly one year apart

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In a gripping photo series, a New York-based photographer documented her parents' battle against cancer to share the precious moments in between the struggle in order to inspire others.

Nancy Borowick, 31, photographed Laurel and Howie Borowick for the last four years of their lives as the couple supported one another through their painful journey.

They both were battling stage 4 cancer at the same time; Laurel with her third round of breast cancer and Howie with an inoperable pancreatic cancer.

The Mail published part of the series as the Borowick family started their journey in 2012. Howie died in December 2013; Laurel 394 days later in December 2014. 

Now Nancy is releasing The Family Imprint, a book compiling the complete collection showing the intimate last moments of her parents' lives, including her own wedding, weekly chemotherapy sessions, warm embraces and their deaths.

For Nancy, through capturing her parents living with cancer, she hopes to spread a message about the strength of family, love, support and hope.

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Nancy Borowick, 31, documented the last years of her parents' lives as they battled stage 4 cancer together. Howie Borowick (left) had pancreatic cancer and Laurel Borowick (right) had breast cancer for the third time. This image of the couple is one of Nancy's favorites because it shows their support for each other but also their individual struggle during their weekly chemotherapy sessions 

Howie was diagnosed with an inoperable pancreatic cancer in December 2012. His wife of 34 years, Laurel was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 when she was 42 years old. In 2011, she was told it returned for the third time. Pictured: Laurel playing with tufts of hair after Howie helped her shave her head  

The two became rocks for each other during the few years they had left. Pictured: Howie dancing around the family home in order to make Laurel laugh 

The Borowick family became introduced to cancer at an early stage. Laurel was 42 years old when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997.

In 2011, Laurel was given the devastating news that her breast cancer returned and she had the sickness for the third time.

A year later in December 2012, Howie was told he had an inoperable cancer in his pancreas.

Instead of crumbling under the weight of the taxing disease, the couple of 34 years became rocks for one another.

The photos reveal the special moments shared between the two, including attending chemotherapy sessions hand-in-hand, trying to get the other to laugh, celebrating birthdays and rejoicing over good scan results.

A particularly touching moment is when Nancy was able to have both of her parents at her side for her wedding, after bumping it up by a year to ensure they could be there for the special day. 

The images show the funeral of Howie, who was laid to rest sporting his favorite jeans, hat and his beloved New York Giants jersey. He died in December of 2013.

Just one day short of her husband's first death anniversary, Laurel died in December 2014, in her own bed surrounded by family.

Nancy said she wanted to share with others the joys that life can have, even in the face of death.

Nancy bumped up her wedding a year early so both of her parents could escort her down the aisle on her special day 

Nancy said: 'One thing I realized very quickly is that this wasn't a story about cancer. The story we were living is one of family and hope. I realize it's obviously a sad story but I feel hope'

Howie and Laurel receiving a phone call that informed them that their latest scans showed their tumors were shrinking 

Speaking to the DailyMail.com, Nancy said: 'I never intentionally decided to do this but as a photographer it happened organically. Photographing them allowed me to understand what was happening. 

'One thing I realized very quickly is that this wasn't a story about cancer. The story we were living is one of family and hope. I realize it's obviously a sad story but I feel hope.

'When I was cleaning out the family home with my siblings, we were going through things and kind of figuring out who our parents were. They never wanted to be defined by their cancer. They were so much more than their sickness.'

She added to CNN: 'One of the best gifts my parents gave us was not only this awareness of time but what they did with that time. And having that awareness of time is a very special kind of perspective. It shapes my every day.' 

Stage 4 cancer is the final stage of the disease. It means that the cancer has spread to other organs or other parts of the body. 

Breast cancer occurs when cells divide and grow in an irregular way. Breast tumors grow slowly and by the time a lump can be felt, it could have been growing for up to 10 years, according to Susan G Komen.  

Between 50-75 percent of breast cancers begin in the milk ducts, about 10-15 percent begin in the lobules and a few begin in other breast tissues. 

The five-year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 26 percent and it's estimated that 40,450 women will die from breast cancer this year.

A year after his diagnosis, Howie died in December of 2013. He was buried in his favorite jeans, hat and his beloved New York Giants jersey

Nancy said: 'When I was cleaning out the family home with my siblings, we were going though things and kind of figuring out who our parents were. They never wanted to be defined by their cancer. They were so much more than their sickness' 

Pancreas cancer can be classified by where the cancer is located, endocrine or the exocrine, with most cancer arising in the latter.

It affects equal numbers of men and women, almost always after age 45 and around 40,000 people are expected to die of the disease yearly. 

The pancreas, a six-inch organ sandwiched between the stomach and the spine, is where the hormone insulin is produced — this helps mop up the sugar in our blood, allowing it to enter our cells, where it can be used for fuel. 

According to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, pancreatic cancer is expected to jump from the fourth most common cancer killer to the second by 2020 in the United States. 

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics in the UK show an eight percent rise in the number of people with pancreatic cancer since 2012. 

There is some evidence that eating large amounts of sugar is associated with an increased risk of cancer — including pancreatic cancer — developing in the first place: this is linked to weight gain and diabetes. 

There seems to be a subset of people with diabetes that is caused by pancreatic cancer and shows up several years before other symptoms occur.

A review of 35 studies published in the European Journal of Cancer in 2011 concluded that evidence 'strongly supported' that type 2 diabetes could be an early symptom and a contributing factor to the disease.

Type 2 diabetes occurs if the pancreas stops producing enough insulin or the cells in the body become resistant to insulin. 

Just one day short of her husband's first death anniversary, Laurel died in December 2014, in her own bed as her family members hugged her 

Nancy said throughout her parents' last years, she not only took photos but recorded conversations, trying to preserve every moment. She said: 'The recordings revealed profound recollections on important things in life and advice' 

Nancy added: 'It started off as me trying to archive family memories. But it wasn't until I decided to do the book that I realized that this was created by the community for the community'